Self-driving car startup gets green light from California

Zoox Inc., a self-driving car startup from California, recently got a green light to operate via state legislation allowing the company to have its autonomous car legal on the streets.

Zoox now becomes the first such company to join a state pilot program that will have driverless cars on Californian roads.

“This is a really, really significant milestone as we head towards commercial launch, which we have stated is toward the end of 2020,” said Bert Kaufman of Zoox told Reuters.

The program will be offering rides to the public while the company finishes the rough edges around its driving mechanisms. For now, a regulator will need to be present to take over if required. As the pilot program gets started, the public will not be charged.

There are more than 60 companies focused on driverless car rides in California, including Zoox.